Königin Elizabeth II. und der Herzog von Edinburgh statten Deutschland ihren vierten Staatsbesuch ab. Vom 2. bis 4. November besuchen sie Berlin, Potsdam und Nordrhein-Westfalen. Aus diesem Anlass schickte Ihre Majestät dieses Grußwort:
„The occasion of my fourth State Visit to Germany next month will be an opportunity once again to celebrate the great friendship which exists between our two countries. This friendship has been the basis for our partnership in NATO and the European Union. Such friendship cannot rely on the work of governments alone. It depends far more on the tireless efforts of volunteers from all walks of life. In this context I can think of no better example than the Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft. Since the society was formed in Düsseldorf in 1949 your members throughout Germany have done much to widen and deepen the personal contacts between us. I congratulate on your success and I thank you for your dedication to British-German friendship.“